Two schoolteachers in Sibonga were indicted for alleged violations of the election laws during the synchronized barangay and SK elections on October 29, 2007.
The case was filed by the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against Marife Logdonio and Ana Liza Guarin who were accused of altering the election results to favor a candidate for chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan in one of the barangays of Sibonga.
Provincial prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba approved the recommendation of assistant provincial prosecutor Glynda Lupian to charge the two teachers.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by losing candidate Redford Carpentero, and his mother, against Logdonio and Guarin, chair of the board of election tellers and poll clerk, respectively.
Carpentero and his mother alleged that the respondents considered a questioned ballot in favor of his opponent, Jury Fernandez, resulting in a tie of 21 votes each.
The questioned ballot was not however placed in the ballot box together with the official election returns when it was brought to the local Comelec office, where the issue was again taken into consideration.
The respondents allegedly placed it in an envelope and hand-carried to the municipal election office where they reconsidered the questioned ballot as invalid causing the complainant’s eventual defeat.
Logdonio and Guarin allegedly changed the entry in the official tally sheet by altering the number of votes of the complainant. The alleged alteration eliminated the tie score and eventually declared the complainant’s political rival as winner.
The two admitted having amended the entries on the election return but in the presence of the local election officer. But, despite of it, the investigating prosecutor found probable cause to indict them.
The investigating prosecutor ruled that the respondents’ claim are matters of defense that can be best appreciated during the full-blown trial of the case in court. — Fred P. Languido/RAE